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NBA Trades: 5 under-the-radar trade targets

By Hunter Parsons

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on November 19, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on November 19, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Poeltl NBA Game
Jakob Poeltl, San Antonio Spurs – Mandatory Credit: Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images /

NBA: C Jakob Poeltl, San Antonio Spurs

Okay, this one may not be so under the radar anymore. However, with the San Antonio Spurs headed for their fourth straight season below .500, the team’s national exposure is certainly not what it once was. Because of that, the casual fan may not be aware of the continuing evolution of young Spurs center Jakob Poeltl. Initially, Poeltl was largely viewed as a mere throw-in to the Kawhi Leonard/DeMar DeRozan trade in 2018. However, now in his fifth season in the Alamo City, Poeltl has developed into one of the premier centers in the NBA.

Where Poeltl really stands out is defense. While he only averages around a block per game, so far this season, Poeltl has ranked in the top 10th percentile among all players in rim contests per 75 possessions. Poeltl places in the top 2nd percentile in Basketball Index’s Post Defense metric, third among centers, behind only Onyeka Okongwu and Clint Capela. Poeltl also ranks in the top 13th percentile in several other of Basketball Index’s interior defense metrics including Screener Mobile Defense, Screener Rim Defense, and Help Defensive Activity.

Like Barnes, Poeltl is in the last year of his contract which, in Poeltl’s case, banks him just under $9.4 million this season. The Austrian is eligible for a new, four-year, $58 million extension until the end of the NBA calendar year, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent. With Poeltl ranking as one of the best centers in the league and salaries gradually increasing due to the upcoming media rights deal in 2025, it’s no secret that Poeltl far outplays his current contract.

Therefore, it’s probably safe to assume that the Spurs offered him a max extension, even if they have plans to move him later on. No team wants to lose a major asset, let alone a top-of-the-league center, for nothing in free agency.

Adjusting their deals to Poeltl’s extension timeline, other defensive-minded big men Clint Capela, Jarrett Allen, Mitchell Robinson, and Robert Williams III make an average AAV of $19.5 million. With Poeltl’s max extension coming in at $14.5 million AAV, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he hasn’t agreed to the new deal. Over half the league can create cap space this summer, and Poeltl is positioned perfectly to take advantage.

It should be noted that, in the end, the Spurs could pay Poeltl practically whatever he wants this summer, should a trade not happen. According to Spotrac, the Spurs could free up over $73 million in cap space this summer. So, if Poeltl is so good, and the Spurs have so much room, why wouldn’t they just bring him back? At age 27, Poeltl is one of the oldest players on a Spurs team in the midst of a hard rebuild following the trade of All-Star PG Dejounte Murray last offseason.

Murray, one year younger than Poeltl, even said at a press conference with the Atlanta Hawks that San Antonio traded him because “[t]hey didn’t want to see [him] waste years rebuilding…” While the Spurs can ultimately afford to bring Poeltl back, it makes sense to move his expiring contract now for draft picks ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft in June.